Tie rod assembly for concrete wall form panels



1961 G. F. BOWDEN 2,997,769

TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE WALL FORM PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNOV. 23, 1959 INVENTOR Geeks: FI Bowosu N b W Arm Aug. 29, 1961 G. F.BOWDEN TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE WALL FORM PANELS Filed NOV. 23,1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,997,769 TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE WALL FORMPANELS George F. Bowden, Hazelcrest, Ill., assignor to Symons Clamp 8:Mfg. Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 23', 1959,Ser. No. 854,967 2 Claims. (Cl. 25-431) The present invention relates toconcrete wall forms of the panel type wherein the opposed wall forms areeach constructed of a group of rectangular panels assembled inedge-to-edge' relationship with the wet concrete being poured into thespace existing between the walls, and with the two walls being connectedby combined tie and spreader devices to prevent the wall from bulgingunder the thrust of the wet concrete. The panels commonly employed inthis type of concrete wall form consist of facings of plywood againstwhich the wet concrete lies, and stiffening and strengthening frameswhich are applied to the outer sides of the facings. Such strengtheningframes include marginal horizontal and vertical members and intermediatecross bars which may extend either vertically or horizontally and whichare connected at their ends to either the horizontal or the verticalmarginal frame members.-

The present invention has particular reference to concrete wall forms ofthis sort but which are known as prefabricated wall forms in that theindividual panels are assembled at the factory rather than in the field,and in that the plywood panel reinforcing members including the verticaland horizontal marginal members, and any intermediate cross memberswhich may be employed, are in the form of lengths of steel channelswhich are rolled to special shape and perforated, notched, grooved orotherwise fashioned to properly receive therein the plywood panel edges,as well as to facilitate the use of suitable fastening devices or otherconcrete form hardware whereby the adjacent panel units may be fastenedto-' .gether.

Atypical wall form panel installation of the character briefly outlinedabove has been shown in the patent to Arthur -H. Symons, No. 2,640,249,granted on June 2, 1953 and entitled Wall Form Panel. As evidenced bythis patent, it is customary to maintain the two panel forms in theirspaced relationship by a special type of combined tie and spreadermember, hereinafter referred to simply as a tie rod assembly. In theerection of the form assembly, T-bolts are passed through registeringholes in the adjacent vertical marginal frame members and thereafterwedges are driven through slots provided in the shank portions of thebolts and these wedges, when driven tightly into place, coact with thebolts to draw the vertical side members together andthus clamp thepanels fairly together in edge-toedge relation. The marginal sidemembers are recessed so that the loopportions of the tie rods may passbetween the adjacent vertical side members and encircle the shankportions of the bolts so that the tie rod ends are, in this manner,operatively attached to both the front and rear form assembly. The tierods are expendable in that after the concrete has been poured betweenthe forms and allowed to harden and the forms removed by withdrawal ofthe bolt and Patented Aug. 29, 1961 wedge assemblies, the tie rodsremain embedded in the concrete with their looped ends projectingoutwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the concrete structure. Atpoints near the face of the concrete structure where the tie rodsproject outwardly, the rods are provided with weakened portions whichfacilitate breaking off. of the projecting ends of the tie rods. Tierods and bolt assemblies of this general character are extremelyeffective in use and they have been widely accepted in the buildingindustry. However, they are possessed of one serious limitation in thatthey are difficult to install. It has been found that in the usualmanner of erecting prefabricated wall form panels in any giveninstallation, in order to adjoin the marginal edges of two adjacentpanels, the bolts are first inserted through the openings in thevertical marginal frame members of a given pair of opposed panels andthe tie rods are hung so to speak on the protruding shanks of the boltsby inserting the tie rod loops over the shanks so that the tie rods spanthe opposed forms and rest loosely in position on these forms awaitingjuxtapositioning of the next adjacent pair of opposed wall form panels.As these latter panels are brought into position in the form structureand moved into edge-to-edge relationship with the already erectedpanels, it has been found that almost invariably, regardless of theskill of the workmen or of the care and attention given to the job, theedges of these latter panels will engage the ends of the bolts and, byimpact, knock the bolts out of the loops and through the holes in thevertical marginal frame bars so that the support for the tie rod is nolonger existent and one or both ends of the tie rod will fall, thusobstructing further positioning of the second pair of panels against thefirst erected pair of panels. It sometimes happens that because of theexistence of certain recesses which are formed in the vertical sideframe members, only the bolts will be dislodged from the panel structurewhile the tie rods will remain captured within the registering notchesprovided between the vertical side members. This necessitates subsequentretrieving of the bolts for application to the tie rods. More often thannot, however, both the bolt and the tie rod are dislodged on one or bothsides of the installation so that final erection of the forms is at besta trial and error method with repeated positioning of the tie rodsagainst the forms before the same can be properly anchored in position.

To obviate the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon theassembly of tie rods in a form installation of this character, manyoperators have found that by wiring the bolts in their temporaryposition on one erected panel before bringing the second panel intojuxtaposition therewith, the bo-lts will be retained in position so thatafter the second panel has been thus positioned, the bolt may be drivenhome and the wedge applied thereto. This procedure, however, istime-consuming in that it involves an initial wiring step and asubsequent wire removal step, sometimes involving the use of wirecutters and pliers to pull the severed Wire from its lodged positionbetween the forms and around the bolt. Other operators have attempted tosolve the problem by the use of additional workmen for holding the boltsin position until the adjacent panels have been positioned in theiredge-to-edge relationship.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-notedlimitations that are attendant upon the use of tie rod and boltassemblies in the erection of prefabricated form panel units, and towardthis end, the invention contemplates the provision of a bolt assemblyfor use in connection with the looped ends of tie rods wherein the shankportion of the bolt is provided with a recess in the distal end thereofestablishing a supporting cradle for the tie rod loop, the cradle beingso shaped and positioned on the bolt shank that when the shank isinserted through the usual opening in the vertical marginal frame memberand allowed to project outwardly therefrom a slight distance, the tierod loop may be hung on the end region of the bolt with one side of theloop resting within the cradle and with the tie rod strut projectingthrough the usual notched margin of the frame member so that when thenext panel unit is brought into juxtaposition against the first panelunit, there will be little danger of either the tie rod or the boltbeing dislodged from its temporary position.

The two panels may then be moved to their final positions with the panelfacings extending in edge-to-edge relationship and in a common plane,after which the bolt may be impacted from the inside of the firsterected panel and driven to its home position through the tie rod loopand through the aligned openings in the adjacent vertical marginal framemembers, after which the wedge may be applied to draw the frame membershard against each other with the tie rod looped confined therebetween.

The provision of a tie rod bolt having such a loopretaining cradleassociated therewith being among the principal objects of the invention,another object is to provide such a bolt which will cooperate withconventional prefabricated panel units and conventional tie rods, aswell as with conventional wedges without requiring any modificationwhatsoever of the panel units, tie rods, or wedges.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this timeenumerated, will become more readily apparent as the followingdescription ensues.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of thisspecification, a tie rod bolt constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention has been illustrated, both singlyand in its environment in a typical Wall panel installation.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, schematic in itsrepresentation, of a typical concrete wall form installation showing anumber of improved tie rod bolts peratively in position thereon and alsoshowing other such tie rod belts in a temporary position with tie rodsthereon preparatory to the assemblying of an additional panel unit;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view, partly insection of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along thehorizontal plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 in the directionindicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail perspective View of a portion of thestructure shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the bolt and tie rod in aninitial or temporary position on a panel unit preparatory to thejuxtapositioning of a second panel unit thereagainst; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a bolt and wedgeassembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIGS. 1and 2, a fragmentary portion of a partially erected composite wall formof the prefabricated, metal-reinforced, panel type has been illustratedherein and designated in its entirety at 10. The composite assemblyincludes a rear panel form assembly made up of panel units 12, 14, 16and 18 arranged in edgeto-edge relationship, and a front form assemblyinclud ing panel units 20, 22, 24 and 26 likewise arranged inedge-to-edge relationship. All of the panel units in the rear formassembly are shown as being operatively juxtapositioned, but in thefront panel form assembly, the panel unit 26 is shown as being spacedfrom the unit 24 preparatory to the juxtapositioning thereof. Also, inthe front form assembly, certain bolt and wedge assemblies which areemployed for anchoring the panels 22 and 24 together are shown in aninitial temporary position while others are omitted altogether to moreclearly illustrate certain principles which are involved in connectionwith the installation of the novel bolts of the present invention.

The panel units per so are purely conventional and no claim is madeherein to any novelty associated with the same. Each panel unit is inthe form of a generally rectangular plywood facing 30 having a steelmarginal reinforcing frame applied to the outer face of the panel unitand consisting of vertical and horizontal marginal frame bars 32 and 34,respectively. Intermediate horizontal frame members 36 extend acrosseach panel unit and such members have their ends secured by welding tothe opposed faces of the two vertical marginal frame bars 32. The bars32 extend in contiguity at the juncture between the various panel units.The front and rear form assemblies are maintained in their spacedrelationship by means of conventional tie rod and spreader devicesdesignated in their entirety at 40 and the nature and function of theseassemblies 40 will be made clear presently.

The vertical frame bars 32 are of shallow channel shape in cross sectionand each bar includes inside and outside marginal ribs or flanges 42 and44, respectively, and a connecting web portion 46 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Alateral flange 48 spaced inwardly a slight distance from the inside edgeof each frame bar affords a right angle recess 50 in which the adjacentvertical edge of the plywood facing or panel proper 52 seats with itsinside face extending flush with the inside edge of the frame bars 32and 34.

In erecting the concrete wall form assembly 10, pairs of adjacent panelunits are brought into contiguity with the adjacent vertical frame bars32 abutting each other so that the respective ribs 42 and 44 are inedge-to-edge abutting relationship, while the web portions 46 remainslightly separated. At vertically spaced regions along the marginal ribs42 and 44, pairs of transversely registering notches 54 are provided andthese notches, when the frame bars are in contiguity, definetherebetween horizontal channel voids 55 (FIG. 3) adapted to receivetherethrough the tie rods proper of the tie rod and spreader assembly40. A rectangular hole or slot 56 is formed in the web portion 46 at thehorizontal level of each pair of notches 54 and is adapted to receivetherethrough T-bolt and wedge assembly devices 60 whereby the frame bars32 may be drawn tightly together. The horizontal frame bars 34 aresubstantially identical in their construction to the vertical frame bars32, and to avoid needless repetition of description, similar referencecharacters have been applied to the corresponding parts of both framebars.

The arrangement of parts thus far described, with the exception of thebolt portions of the T-bolt and wedge assemblies 60, is purelyconventional in its design and construction and no claim is made hereinto any novelty associated with the same. Concrete walls of this type mayvary widely in their details of construction and it will be understoodthat the wall form illustrated herein is purely exemplary of oneembodiment of a concrete wall form to which the novel T-bolt and wedgeassembly of the present invention is applicable. Only such portions ofthe wall form 10 as are operatively associated with, or bear a relationto, the novel wedge assembly 60 of the present invention have beenillustrated herein.

The tie rod and spreader devices 40 are conventional and each consistsof a tie rod proper (FIGS. 2 and 4) having looped ends 61 which arereversed upon themselves to provide elongated loops or voids 63'designed for reception therethrough of the bolts associated with theT-bolt and Wedge assemblies 60. Flattened breakotf portions 65facilitate removal of the projecting end regions of the tie rods afterthe poured concrete has hardened as is well known in the art. When thedevices 40 are operatively in position in the form assembly 10, as shownin FIG. 1, the notches 54 in the marginal ribs 44 afford clearanceregions for the tie rods while the looped portions or ends 61 remainentirely within the confines of the channel voids 55.

The disclosure of FIGS. 1 and 2 is somewhat schematic in itsrepresentation in that these views illustrate certain principles ofoperation which are involved during assembly of adjacent form panelunits when T-bolt and wedge assemblies 60 constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention are employed, as well as whenconventional T-bolt and wedge assemblies 60a are employed. In theseviews, all of the T-bolt and wedge assemblies 60 are of novel design,whereas a single T- bolt 62a is conventional.

Each T-bolt and wedge assembly involves in its general organization abolt 62 and a wedge 64. The bolt is in the form of a flat steel stampingof generally T- shape in plan and having a body or shank portion 66(FIG. 5) of elongated design provided with a T-head 68 at one endthereof providing shoulders 70 designed for engagement with the Webportion 46 of a vertical marginal side frame member 32 when the shankportion 66 is passed through the rectangular hole 56 of the web portion.The outer or distal end region of the shank 66 is tapered, as at 72, tofacilitate insertion of the shank portion 66 through the hole 56. Theshank portion 66 is formed with an elongated slot 74 therethroughdesigned for reception of the wedge 64, the latter being in the form ofa flat triangular steel stamping. When the shank portion 66 is passedthrough a pair of registering holes 56 in adjacent vertical members 32and the wedge 64 inserted through the slot 74, the straight edge or side76 of the wedge bears against one of the web portions 46 of the adjacentvertical member 32 and this side, in combination with the shoulders 70,serves to draw the two abutting vertical marginal frame members 32together in the usual manner of installation of conventional wedgeassemblies 60a.

The wedge assembly 60 differs from conventional wedge assemblies only inthat the distal tapered end region 72 of the bolt 62 is formed with arelatively deep, transversely extending, substantially semi-cylindricalgroove 80 thereacross. This groove establishes an upwardly facing curvedcradle 80 designed for cooperation with one side of the looped end 61 ofa tie rod 60 so as to support the adjacent end of the tie rodtemporarily in position against the outside face of a marginal verticalframe member '32 in a manner that will be made clear presently.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is conventional practice, whenutilizing conventional T-bolts 62a to insert only the distal end regionof the T-bolt through one of the slots 56 in an already erected panelunit, as shown in the lower regions of these two views, and totemporarily support the looped end 61 of a tie rod 40 on the end regionof the bolt as shown in dotted lines preparatory to bringing an adjacentpanel unit into juxtaposition with the erected unit. After the two panelunits are properly justapositioned with the adjacent slots 56 inregister, the bolt iSl driven home to expose the slotted shank so thatthe Wedge may be inserted therein and tightened by impact means. It hasbeen found that only by the most careful handling on the part of askilled operator or operators can the assembly be made in this manner.Almost invariably the T-bolt 62a will be dislodged by contact with theunfastened panel unit or by jarring of the structure, and in such aninstance, the tie rod 40 is likely to fall to the full line positionillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In some instances, the bolt 62a will bedislodged as shown in full lines, but the loop will remain capturedbetween the registering, notches 54, and in such instances, it isnecessary to retrieve the bolt and again insert it through theregistering slots 56 and through the loop 63'.

The novel T-bolt of the present invention obviates these difficulties inthat when the wedge is partially inserted through the aligned orregistering slots 56 and allowed to project a slight distance beyond theweb 46 of one vertical frame member 32, the recessed groove or cradlewill serve as a temporary support for the looped end 61 as shown in theupper regions of FIGS. 1 and 2 so that when the adjacent panel unit isbrought into juxtaposition with an erected panel unit jarring of thestructure or accidental contact of the end of the bolt 62 with the panelunit undergoing installation will not force the bolt out of the slots56.

The cradles or grooves 80 are preferably slightly less than incircumferential extent so that after two panel units have been properlyjuxtapositioned in edge-to-edge relationship, an impacting blow on thehead portion 68 of the bolts 62 will serve to drive the T bolt to itshome position with the looped end 61 moving upwardly by a camming actiona slight distance to clear the curved wall of the cradle 80 and finallycoming to rest on the medial region of the shank portion 66 of theT-bolt. To permit such vertical displacement of the looped end 61 of thetie rod 40, the vertical extent of the various notches 54 in the flanges44 of the vertical members 32 is appreciably greater than the diameterof the tie rod 40.

In the manufacture of the T-bolts 60, no machining operations arerequired. The grooves or cradles 86 may conveniently be formed in thedistal end of the shank 66 by the provision of a suitable projection inone of the forming dies which are utilized in the stamping operation.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification asvarious changes in the details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as theinvention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claimsis the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A T-bolt designed for use in temporarily supporting the flat sidedlooped end of a tie rod in an initial position against one vertical sideof a marginal frame member associated with a concrete wall form panelunit preparatory to juxtapositioning a similar panel unit thereagainstin edge-to-edge relationship, said T-bolt comprising a flat stamping ofgenerally T-sh-ape design having an elongated shank portion and anenlarged head portion, said T-bolt having substantially flat upper andlower faces, there being an elongated slot extending vertically throughsaid shank portion designed for reception therethrough of a wedge, theupper face of said T-bolt being formed with a transversely extendinggroove in the distal region of the shank portion between the slot andthe free end of the shank portion for establishing an upwardly facingcradle designed loosely to receive therein by gravity one flat side ofsaid looped end of the tie rod.

2. A T-bolt designed for use in temporarily supporting the flat sidedlooped end of a "wire tie rod in an initial position against onevertical side of a marginal frame member associated with a concrete wallform panel unit preparatory to juxapositioning a similar panel unitthereagainst in edge-to-edge relationship, said T-bolt comprising a flatstamping of generally T-shape design having an elongated shank portionand an enlarged head portion, said T-bolt having substantially flatupper and lower faces, there being an elongated slot extendingvertically through said shank portion designed for receptiontherethrough of a wedge, the upper face of said T-bolt being formed witha transversely extending groove in the distal region of the shankportion between the slot and the free end of the shank portion forestablishing an upwardly facing cradle designed loosely to receivetherein by gravity one fiat side of said looped end of the tie rod, theside edges of said shank portion in said distal region being taperedwith said transversely extending groove extending completely across theshank portion and intersecting the tapered sides, said groove having asubstantially semi-cylindrical wall the depth of which is slightly lessthan the radius of the wire of the tie rod which is to be receivedtherein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBuffington Sept. 19, 1893 Reynolds Apr. 22, 1919 Beauchamp Oct. 16, 1934Slayter et al Dec. 20, 1938 Symons June 2, 1953 Hennig Nov. 11, 1958Horrocks et al Nov. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 4, 1957

